The man looked different from what the Creature expected. Then she checked herself. He felt different. The physical impressions she’d received over the decades were of the man who stood in front of her. Yes. He was just six feet, his beard, flecked with gray, shoulder-length hair, top hat and coat tails were familiar. Broad cheeks, straight nose and the eyes were right. What was different?
Then she decided perhaps it was the set of his features. There were marks of violence on his clothing: bloody tears in his pants. But that wasn’t the cause. She sensed anger, which had never been in her visions, and he radiated a sour feeling of reluctance. He didn’t want to be here. That was different from what she expected.
She sensed something different in Conan too. His little fighter’s body stood beside the stranger, the guest, she corrected herself; but Conan’s figure, usually a tight twist of muscle, rage and armor, was unusually calm. Something had happened between them. He was calm, and he smelled of tears.
“The Creature welcomes the man to the Nightcare,” the Creature said. The word “welcome” was echoed in a chorus from child to child as the other forever children had gathered in a great semicircle behind her. It was their way, the echo-the chorus-of sharing power.
The phenomenon was not lost to the visitor. He smiled, and let his eyes follow the echo among the children. Then he removed his hat and bowed at the waist.
“The Creature trusts,” the Creature started. “And the Nightcare trusts.”
“Trust,” echoed among the children.
“The Creature thinks you were injured by friend, Conan,” she continued. The Creature sat, as was her way at the center of a great circular floor comprised of treaded iron plating. There were holes and vents in the floor that admitted the sounds of distant rushing water far below. The Creature’s seat was raised on a pile of extra plates neatly piled. The flooring made for a noisy addition, but the proximity to the lower levels of the Maze made the meeting place perfect for the Nightcare. There were many, many ways of escape, and they always had to be careful of the Toffers and the Sheps.
“No,” the stranger said, remarkably reaching down and squeezing Conan’s shoulder. “My friend only showed me his bravery, and led me here.”
A moment of dismay passed. The Creature knew of Conan’s history and his torment in the Bad house. For a stranger, a ma n especially, to be able to lay hands on him was indeed remarkable. It was as her visions foretold.
“The Creature thinks that is well,” the Creature said. “It is not our way to harm, but it is the way of others to encourage inhospitality.” She nodded, and the stranger nodded back as the word “inhospitality” circled the enclosure on children’s tongues.
The stranger’s eyes glistened momentarily, and he rubbed at his forehead with the back of his hand. The Creature saw a new scar on the skin of his palm. This caused her to lurch upright in her seat, but the stranger was dismissive.
“It’s okay,” he said, looking at his palm and rubbing it, “I heal quickly.”
The word “heal” was transferred around the room. This was something of note to the Creature. The Nightcare rarely echoed the words of strangers.
“The Creature saw your need, and sent fighters to help your friend-the girl,” the Creature said smiling, as the word “friend” echoed from child to child. “But they were unable to extricate her in time.”
The word “extricate” started around the room in garbled fashion at first, finally becoming a mishmash of syllables and giggles. The Creature gave them a sobering look and they quieted.
“The Creature sees the Toffers captured her.” She shook her head sadly, voice lowering. “Had they not Sheps with them, the Creature’s fighters would have succeeded.”
“What are Toffers?” the stranger asked, noticing there was no echo of that word. “And Sheps?”
“The Creature knows that Toffers are Truant Officers employed by the Prime for his orphanage,” the Creature explained, the forever children around her were silent. One of them started crying. An actual echo followed her words. “And they use Shepherds like dogs to sniff out the children. But they are not dogs.”
The stranger looked downcast a moment, then he raised his gaze. “You know what they really are?”
“The Creature sees the Demonkind,” the Creature said quietly. A palpable shiver ran through the collection of children. Many of them came from the Orphanage, and most had seen the Toffers. “They are controlled by the Prime as hunters and collectors. They used to go about in the skins of men and animals, but their power must be growing for they do not hide their shapes as they once did.”
“I was afraid of that.” The stranger nodded anxiously. He looked at his hands and then straightened his shoulders. “Forgive me, please, but I have overlooked introductions.” He cleared his throat. “I am called, Mr. Jay, a magician from the north. I came to the City in the company of a girl named, Dawn. She is under my protection.”
Giggles suddenly started in the ranks of the collected children, but these were silenced by a look from the Creature.
“It’s okay.” The stranger appreciated the irony, raising his hands. “I know.” He shrugged and squeezing Conan’s shoulder again said, “Had she Conan for a protector, I’m sure things would have been different.”
The word “different” echoed among the forever children.
“The Creature says that she is called the Creature by friends of the Nightcare,” the Creature said this, standing up in front of her chair, allowing her patched and worn dress and ivory cloak to flow to her ankles. “The Nightcare children have asked the Creature to lead them in these dark times, and she does so gladly.” She lifted her palms, and the word “Creature” ran through their ranks, echoing off the steel deck plating. She was moved to hear such feeling in their voices. Tears formed in her eyes and passed.
“As such, the Creature is entrusted with their care,” she smiled and stepped down from her chair to the plated floor. She moved toward the man. The Creature was twelve and a half when the Change came and had been locked for a century in a body that was not a child and that was not an adult. She believed this suspension between realities was what gave her the gift of sight. “But she has long awaited your coming, as have they. You are a dubious guest, Mr. Jay, for her visions say you offer the end of something and the beginning of something.” She smiled and let her hands fall at her sides. “But the Creature sees that this is life.”
Mr. Jay shook his head and opened his arms. The Creature felt a troubled mood cloud his mind. “I am not responsible for the way the wind blows. I just have to get Dawn back and get the hell out of the City.” He looked around saying, “If you’re smart, you’ll do the same.”
“The Creature understands and sees that,” the Creature said, drawing near and looking up. She was just under five feet tall. “But she did not foresee it.” The word “foresee” echoed around the circular room. “Which is disturbing to her.”
“I’m finished with the City once I get Dawn,” the magician said and shrugged. “You know the weight of responsibility.” The word “responsibility” echoed, his eyes looked up nervously. “It was a great weight I carried at another time.” He looked down at his hands. “And I will not carry more than Dawn.”
“Indeed,” the Creature said, pausing to meet Conan’s armored gaze up close. So calm my young friend, she smiled at him. Your tears smell like freedom, little brother. And tears entered her eyes again. Taking Mr. Jay’s hand she drew him to the center of the circular floor by her chair.
“The Creature sees that this is the truth you hope to realize,” she said to the magician, looking up and smiling before continuing. “But as one who has carried responsibility, you know our hopes rarely match reality.”
“Hope,” echoed among the children.
“And we tend to forget fate at such times,” she whispered, dropping her guest’s hand and bowing. “How can we help you, Mr. Jay?”
His face had gone ashen at the word “fate,” but he quickly regained his composure. “I need to know about the Orphanage. I have to get Dawn out of there.”
The word “Dawn” followed the gathered circle of children. The Creature smiled as she looked into the ageless faces.